Internal Forces Within the Odyssey

Internal forces within the Odyssey

In the Odyssey, Odysseus and his men are affected by internal forces and external forces. Examples of these forces are presented in the Odyssey many times, both of them affecting the characters. Even though external forces affect Odysseus and his men, internal forces further influence them by delaying Odysseus. This is proven many times within the essay and can be spotted as a provoking force for many external forces. Therefore, internal forces, such as temptations and hubris, hinder Odysseus and his men from reaching nostos far more than external forces.

Temptation in the Odyssey plays an immense role in hindering Odysseus and his men from reaching nostos. After ten years of battle at Troy Odysseus and his men sail home only to be stranded on the island of the lotus eaters where “Any crewman who ate the lotus/...lost all desire to...return [home], / their only wish to linger there with the Lotus-eaters/, grazing on lotus”(Od.9.106-109). This temptation slows Odysseus and his men from reaching home for they had to drag the crewmen who had eaten the lotus back to the ship. There they sail away from the land of the lotus eaters to find themselves at the land of the cyclops. They then wander into Polyphemus’ cave where they find mass amounts of cheese in which they want to “…make away with the cheese, then come back” but instead “…set [their]hands on the cheeses...and [eat]” (Od.9.253-260). Subsequent to them eating the cheese, Polyphemus enters the cave and

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questions Odysseus after which he eats two of his men and traps the rest in his cave. This further hinders Odysseus and his men by lowering their morale and slowing their current progress. After blinding Polyphemus, who then curses them, they sail away. When they arrive at Circe's island a small squad of men goes into Circe's home in which they are “ushered…in to sit...” while Circe creates a drink for the men in which “ she stirred her wicked drugs/ to wipe from their memories any thought of home.” (Od.10.257-260). She then turns the men into pigs which further lowers their morale and causes further progress to come to halt as Odysseus comes to save his men. Afterwards they stay a year at Circe's island and then sail off. This provides evidence on how Odysseus and his men are greatly hindered by temptation. Also, provided by this is the fact that many external forces are provoked by internal forces such as temptation when after eating Polyphemus’ cheese he, a monster, kills two of Odysseus’ men.

Along with temptation, hubris also hinders the nostos of Odysseus and his men more than external forces. After winds “drove [Odysseus] out of Ilium on to Ismarus, / the Cicones’ stronghold” where Odysseus and his men take over the city and took as much loot as they can and “shared it round so no one…would go deprived of his fair share of spoils”. Afterwards Odysseus “urged [his men] to cut and run” and set sail, “but would they listen? Not those mutinous fools”, who instead continued feasting on the countless amount of livestock (Od.9.44-52). The hubris of Odysseus men caused them to be blinded from the fact that the Cicones had allies and had “a larger force, and stronger soldiers” which then costs Odysseus and his men six men a ship, “the rest of us [rowing] away from certain doom.” (Od.9.56,69,70). This greatly hinders Odysseus and his men by lowering morale and causing a lot of men to be lost further slowing them down. After arriving at Polyphemus’ island they lose two